Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
(27 Jul 2015, 10:15 am)Charles41 wrote [ -> ]It is such a shame that they are ceasing operations. The company is very well regarded locally, perhaps residents of the Coquet Valley can come up with a scheme to keep the company going.
To give an example, the Rose and Crown pub at Slaley (near Hexham) was threatened with closure. The locals formed a cooperative (Slaley Community Assets Limited) which purchased the pub and now runs it. I believe a similar situation occurred with the Jazz Café in Newcastle following the death of the owner.
Charles
wont that need funding?
(27 Jul 2015, 10:15 am)Charles41 wrote [ -> ]It is such a shame that they are ceasing operations. The company is very well regarded locally, perhaps residents of the Coquet Valley can come up with a scheme to keep the company going.
To give an example, the Rose and Crown pub at Slaley (near Hexham) was threatened with closure. The locals formed a cooperative (Slaley Community Assets Limited) which purchased the pub and now runs it. I believe a similar situation occurred with the Jazz Café in Newcastle following the death of the owner.
Charles
Completely different beast to taking over a pub though. While a pub could be staffed with unskilled volunteers from the local community (with one person employed to coordinate), it's doubtful a bus company could be purchased and operated by local volunteers unless, of course, that community is made up of fitters and drivers who are willing to donate their time and hold the relevant CPC's.
(27 Jul 2015, 11:15 am)MurdnunoC wrote [ -> ]Completely different beast to taking over a pub though. While a pub could be staffed with unskilled volunteers from the local community (with one person employed to coordinate), it's doubtful a bus company could be purchased and operated by local volunteers unless, of course, that community is made up of fitters and drivers who are willing to donate their time and hold the relevant CPC's.
murdnunoC is right but there could still be a possibility to keep spirit bus active. if there is some sort of project that could be put in place before the deadline and sort out all the necessary forms and documents then spirit bus has a slight chance of surviving.
(25 Jul 2015, 10:33 am)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]Isn't cross subsidising illegal ?
No. You're not telling me every single Stagecoach and Arriva journey makes a profit.
(26 Jul 2015, 1:59 pm)RobinHood wrote [ -> ]They may break even with a small operator like Spirit, but companies like Arriva have massive overheads. They won't touch them.
Massive overheads - but also massive economies of scale.
(26 Jul 2015, 1:59 pm)RobinHood wrote [ -> ]They may break even with a small operator like Spirit, but companies like Arriva have massive overheads. They won't touch them.
I don't think ARRIVA would aim to make the same percentage of profit on a route in rothbury as they would a route between blyth and newcastle
If the could do something they would. See GNE in North Tyne Valley
(27 Jul 2015, 6:26 pm)DanTheMan wrote [ -> ]I don't think ARRIVA would aim to make the same percentage of profit on a route in rothbury as they would a route between blyth and newcastle
If the could do something they would. See GNE in North Tyne Valley
just to elevate disagreements. if arriva wanted to run as service that covers spirit buses routes they would have done it long ago.
United (now Arriva) used to run a service in the Upper Coquet valley to Alwinton. I believe this passed to Rothbury motors and then Howard Snaith. Snaith pulled out of the service a few years ago due to very low passenger numbers. The Post Bus also used to run to Alwinton but this service was withdrawn a long time ago.
United used to have a small depot/bus station in Rothbury. There is now a housing estate and a vetinary surgeon's office on the site. You can see it just off the main street. Rothbury Motors garage near the Queens Head is now a gift shop and the yard has been developed for housing.
In the case of the pub at Slaley, the cooperative sold shares to its members and thus obtained finance to purchase and operate the pub. Perhaps this is an alternative for Spirit. It could in theory allow Steve to continue to be involved in managing any successor company and provide him with a salary for doing so.
Charles
(28 Jul 2015, 11:22 am)Charles41 wrote [ -> ]United (now Arriva) used to run a service in the Upper Coquet valley to Alwinton. I believe this passed to Rothbury motors and then Howard Snaith. Snaith pulled out of the service a few years ago due to very low passenger numbers. The Post Bus also used to run to Alwinton but this service was withdrawn a long time ago.
United used to have a small depot/bus station in Rothbury. There is now a housing estate and a vetinary surgeon's office on the site. You can see it just off the main street. Rothbury Motors garage near the Queens Head is now a gift shop and the yard has been developed for housing.
In the case of the pub at Slaley, the cooperative sold shares to its members and thus obtained finance to purchase and operate the pub. Perhaps this is an alternative for Spirit. It could in theory allow Steve to continue to be involved in managing any successor company and provide him with a salary for doing so.
Charles
Community owned ventures are a nice idea in theory, but in practise, they are still exposed to the same market forces (or regulative constraints) which face any business. While Steve Hurst may be able to use his operators licence and draw a salary in an any community-driven alternative to Spirit Buses, the business still needs to somehow pay its way. So, as I said in previous post, unless Couquetdale is populated by drivers and fitters willing to donate their time and energy into the project, the same overheads will remain and the business will be grounded unless the project is scaled back to the bare minimum - e.g. a small minibus service operating a couple of times a week (or at a push - once a day) between, say, Thropton, Rothbury and Alnwick with a revised, increased frequency during the summer months when tourists may be persuaded to use the service.
On VOSA today:
PB1129385/5 - SPIRIT BUSES LTD, UNIT, UNIT 3B, ROTHBURY INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, ROTHBURY, MORPETH, NE65 7RZ
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Opposite Three Wheat Heads Pub and Morpeth Bus Station given service number 14S effective from 16-Sep-2015.
(30 Jul 2015, 1:54 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]On VOSA today:
PB1129385/5 - SPIRIT BUSES LTD, UNIT, UNIT 3B, ROTHBURY INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, ROTHBURY, MORPETH, NE65 7RZ
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Opposite Three Wheat Heads Pub and Morpeth Bus Station given service number 14S effective from 16-Sep-2015.
Should we think that these cancellations are 'just for the winter'?
(30 Jul 2015, 2:33 pm)G-CPTN wrote [ -> ]Should we think that these cancellations are 'just for the winter'?
I expect that if they did return the services would be in a different form?
Another Article from this months Buses Magazine focuses on "The Rural Spirit".
[attachment=7013]
(19 Aug 2015, 3:39 pm)buss14 wrote [ -> ]so does that mean they can still run there bus services?
From the way the article reads, they'll be cutting their evening services and no longer continuing to Alnmouth Station. He's also got rid of the two unreliable darts and replaced them with another bus, which I think is a sensible move from a cost point of view.
I think it would also be wise to cut back to only 6 days a week giving one day a week to maintain the bus too and perhaps rationalise the services which extend from Rothbury to go around the villages and hopefully pick up a few more passengers and tourists from being more regular rather than jut 2/3 days a week.
(19 Aug 2015, 6:16 pm)passenger_10 wrote [ -> ]From the way the article reads, they'll be cutting their evening services and no longer continuing to Alnmouth Station. He's also got rid of the two unreliable darts and replaced them with another bus, which I think is a sensible move from a cost point of view.
I think it would also be wise to cut back to only 6 days a week giving one day a week to maintain the bus too and perhaps rationalise the services which extend from Rothbury to go around the villages and hopefully pick up a few more passengers and tourists from being more regular rather than jut 2/3 days a week.
well lately i have seen an enviro 200 on spirit routes
I spotted MX14 FUG a month ago when I was last paying attention around Alnwick. If they've still got it then it could well be the bus they'll be using going forward on their new reduced number of services.
(19 Aug 2015, 9:38 pm)passenger_10 wrote [ -> ]I spotted MX14 FUG a month ago when I was last paying attention around Alnwick. If they've still got it then it could well be the bus they'll be using going forward on their new reduced number of services.
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/7531787...585032766/
(19 Aug 2015, 9:50 pm)G-CPTN wrote [ -> ]http://www.flickriver.com/photos/7531787...585032766/
when i got on the bus yesterday i had a chat with steven and he said that in the near future there is meant to be another bus as back up coming. i see what he means because if the bus they are using now breaksdown then they will have the problen they had the last time.
i will keep an eye out and my camera on me
(20 Aug 2015, 8:28 am)buss14 wrote [ -> ]when i got on the bus yesterday i had a chat with steven and he said that in the near future there is meant to be another bus as back up coming. i see what he means because if the bus they are using now breaksdown then they will have the problen they had the last time.
Howard Snaith should have a few standing idle . . .
It's not far from Otterburn to where Spirit are based.
(20 Aug 2015, 9:00 am)G-CPTN wrote [ -> ]Howard Snaith should have a few standing idle . . .
It's not far from Otterburn to where Spirit are based.
very true. i would like to know what will happen to the two ceatano numbus's
(20 Aug 2015, 3:55 pm)buss14 wrote [ -> ]very true. i would like to know what will happen to the two ceatano numbus's
One has been reported as returned to Dawsonrentals, while one is still in service (the 51reg).
(23 Aug 2015, 8:46 am)GX03 SVC wrote [ -> ]One has been reported as returned to Dawsonrentals, while one is still in service (the 51reg).
i think that one maybe used as a back up bus, there is meant to be 1 more bus coming so give the company a choice of 3 buses but it may not be likely the 51 plate bus will a lot of use
(23 Aug 2015, 8:55 am)buss14 wrote [ -> ]i think that one maybe used as a back up bus, there is meant to be 1 more bus coming so give the company a choice of 3 buses but it may not be likely the 51 plate bus will a lot of use
Think it's more likely the other Dart will go. I believe the first one went for scrap rather than to Dawsons... anyone confirm?
(23 Aug 2015, 9:23 am)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]Think it's more likely the other Dart will go. I believe the first one went for scrap rather than to Dawsons... anyone confirm?
the last time i was on the 02 reg it sound like it should. it sounded like some one had put a bag of spanners in the engine
Both Darts went back to Dawsons. I believe there are some legal matters to be sorted out!
(24 Aug 2015, 9:58 am)coldav wrote [ -> ]Both Darts went back to Dawsons. I believe there are some legal matters to be sorted out!
Appreciate nothing can be said on here, but hopefully in the favour of Spirit!
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10